BMJ  2005;331:975-976 (29 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.38649.389005.DE (published 24 October 2005)

Editorial

Bird flu and pandemic flu

What's the message for GPs and hospital doctors?

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The extensive media coverage of avian influenza (bird flu) over recent weeks has caused confusion and increasing concern that bird flu will imminently cause a human pandemic. This has been fuelled by the report of a parrot infected by the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in the United Kingdom this week. Is such a pandemic a flight of fantasy or a dead cert?

The influenza pandemic contingency plan presented by the chief medical officer¹ is clear and comprehensive, but at nearly 450 pages, 11 downloadable documents, and many web links, it may not be ready reading for busy health professionals.

Everyone is familiar with seasonal human flu, which typically affects 10-15% of the UK population each winter and leads to around 12 000 excess deaths. Although minor antigenic drift in the human influenza virus A occurs continuously, a major shift in its surface protein antigens H or N can . . . [Full text of this article]

Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham NG5 1PB (jmacfar1@ncht.trent.nhs.uk)

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